OWWA Asks P10-B Extra Budget To Cover OFW Quarantine Costs
OWWA ASKS P10-B EXTRA BUDGET – Amid the coronavirus quarantine, hundreds of thousands of Filipino OFWs returned from abroad.
However, before getting home to their families they need to undergo a strict quarantine. This is where the The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) comes in to assist.
But, OWWA said earlier that the cost of covering for OFWs has increased due to their longer stay in quarantine facilities. As such, OWWA administrator Hans Cacdac said their office asked the government for an additional P10 billion budget.
“We are good until the midyear point, May to June. Ito naman ay preemptive measure, hindi naman kami sasaklolo nang too late na…
We are sounding the alarm signal early, assuming patuloy pa yung normal flow ng pagdating ng (OFWs), around 2,000 to 3,000 a day”
Currently, the government pays a maximum of P3,000 to quarantine facilities. Meanwhile, according to Cacdac, the payment is still the same even if the OFWs are staying at a 5-star hotel.
“Papalo na po this year sa P3.5 billion ang hotel cost natin. In the last few weeks, meron tayong na payout na P700 million so ongoing po ang ating pag-honor ng ating payables”
Thanks for reading. We aim to provide our readers with the freshest and most in-demand content. Come back next time for the latest news here on Philnews.
READ ALSO: COVID-19 Tests At Checkpoints: Manila Governors Propose New Protocol
